Wednesday, October 12, 2011

What if you could tap into a personal electricity system that uses solar energy and mobile phone technology, rather than grid-based power? Recently, a UK company called Eight19 announced a solution called IndiGo, which is a pay-as-you-go, personal electricity system for the developing world. Combining solar power and mobile phone technology subscribers can light their homes and charge mobile phones using scratchcards.

Using solar energy, Eight19 believes it can increase access to electricity for over 1 billion people who are not connected to the grid. The project will not only help improve the lives of Third World residents by bringing light and refrigeration to the villages, but it also helps minimize the negative impacts of living with kerosene – both via the fumes and expense.

Steve Andrews, CEO of Solar Aid, commented:

“We are excited to be working with Eight19 on this revolutionary technology. Solar energy offers huge economic, health and social benefits to the world’s poorest people; for lighting and mobile phone charging. Eight19’s technology opens up these benefits to many more people. This is a major breakthrough”, said Steve Andrews, CEO of Solar Aid, a charity supporting product trials in Kenya.

Its easy to switch to solar power with the IndiGo system. Components include a low-cost solar panel, a battery unit with inbuilt mobile phone charger and a high efficiency light emitting diode (LED) lamp. Users can put credit on their IndiGo device using a scratchcard, validated over SMS using a standard mobile phone.

Simon Bransfeild-Garth, the CEO of Eight19 comments:

“We are very encouraged by this new way of delivering energy to off-grid applications in emerging markets. Indigo enables a new generation of solar power products that are affordable, providing customers with access, often for the first time, to clean low cost energy that eliminates the health risks and carbon emissions of kerosene.”

6 comments:

One main benefit of using solar energy at home is that when you use solar energy in your home, you will save money in the long run. After all, energy from the sun is free once you have purchased your solar panels or solar lights, etc.

A new hydro power technology is being developed by Sarfraz Ahmad Khan of Pakistan. In theory these hydro plants would not require a reservoir and would have a minimal impact on the environment. They could be run side-by-side in rows and would be much cheaper to build, operate and maintain. Sarfraz has high hopes that his ideas could revolutionize hydro power in his country and across the globe. He is currently seeking expert confirmation of his ideas; this article provides a brief summary of his ideas along with some of the 3D images he has created. You can help him by leaving your comments at the bottom of the page, or by joining the discussion that inspired this article. In the early 19th century, an increasing number of scientists became interested in electricity.hydro electric | hydro electric power | what is hydro electric | inventhistory | power generator | wind power generator | solar and power | electric transportationVisit the website and get more information => www.inventhistory.com

Well thanks for sharing such nice post. According to me the main advantage is Solar Landscape Lights use energy that doesn't require any fuel, transportation, or storage of such fuel. Outdoor solar lights are clean, non-polluting, reliable, and depend upon the sun as a renewable source of energy.

Solar panel are an additional well liked option. In most cases, these kits have the resources essential to bring together a solar panel, leaving the assembly and setting up to the user. Thanks for sharing such useful post regarding Solar Lighting.

Solar power technology is improving consistently from time to time and as our non-renewable source decline its important for the whole world to move towards renewable sources of energy. solar power in Nigeria.